Chapter 168: Ice Cavern of Despair

Sensing the approaching auras nearby, Lin Xiao paused his work and stood up. From behind a small ice mountain, a figure in blue clothing emerged and spoke, "Young friend, digging here won't help you escape."

Hearing the voice, Lin Xiao turned to see a young man, seemingly around twenty years old, with a righteous and honest appearance. His cultivation level was at the ninth level of Qi Refining. Seeing that the man assumed he was digging to find a way out, Lin Xiao didn't bother to correct him and instead asked, "Is that so? Then how do we get out of here?"

The man in blue sighed and smiled bitterly, shaking his head. "If I knew the way out, I wouldn't still be stuck in this cursed place. There's nothing here but these ice mountains and empty buildings. We're trapped, and any hope of collecting resources in the first three days is gone. It seems we'll have to wait for the secret realm to close in fifteen days and be automatically transported out…"

Before Lin Xiao could respond, another voice echoed nearby, "If you think you can just wait for fifteen days to be transported out, I'm afraid that's not possible."

Both Lin Xiao and the blue-clad man turned toward the voice, seeing a young man in silver-lined red robes step out. Like the blue-clad man, this newcomer was also at the ninth level of Qi Refining, but his face appeared even younger, around twenty years old.

The blue-clad man was surprised to see him and asked, "You're from the Heavenly Profound Sect?"

The young man from the Heavenly Profound Sect cupped his hands in greeting and introduced himself, "Hu Guanyu from the Heavenly Profound Sect."

Lin Xiao and the blue-clad man also introduced themselves. The man in blue was named Jiang Cheng.

After exchanging names, Jiang Cheng curiously asked, "What did you mean by what you said earlier?"

Hu Guanyu's expression grew serious as he explained, "You both may be new to Yuanling City, so you might not know this. The uncharted areas on the map of the Icefield Secret Realm aren't unmarked because they haven't been explored yet. After all, this secret realm has existed for over a hundred years."

He paused before continuing, "The reason those areas are unmarked is that the people who entered them… never returned to share what they found."

Jiang Cheng's previously calm face now showed signs of anxiety and fear. "If that's true… what are we supposed to do?"

Lin Xiao was puzzled and asked, "If that's the case, why isn't there more information about it outside? If every year people go missing after entering the secret realm, wouldn't that lead to suspicions about the dangers within?"

Hu Guanyu looked at him with some surprise, then shook his head and replied, "Young friend, you must be someone who rarely leaves home to experience the world. The Icefield Secret Realm sees at least thousands of cultivators enter every year. But do you know how many make it out when the realm closes? Less than two-thirds."

He continued, "Most of the missing third are assumed to have died in battles with other cultivators. Those who, like us, are unlucky enough to end up in uncharted areas are such a small number that they barely count. When the realm closes, and they don't return, people simply assume they perished in combat. No one knows they died trapped in some isolated area."

Jiang Cheng, growing more anxious, asked, "Then how do you know about this?"

Hu Guanyu pulled out a piece of white cloth from his robe, covered in writing. "Because yesterday, I found this on the remains of someone inside here."

He handed the cloth to Lin Xiao and Jiang Cheng, explaining, "This cloth was left by a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Yuan Zhonghe. It details what happened to him after he entered this place."

Lin Xiao and Jiang Cheng bent their heads together to read the cloth. The writing revealed that Yuan Zhonghe had entered the secret realm and immediately found himself in this ice cavern. Despite trying everything he could, even teaming up with others trapped here, they couldn't find any way out.

As days passed, they lost hope of escaping and decided to wait for the realm to close and transport them out. However, when the fifteenth day arrived, nothing happened. They remained trapped in the ice cavern.

Three days later, at an unknown time, the cavern began to emit an unbearable cold, even for Foundation Establishment cultivators. The cold was so eerie that no amount of spiritual energy could fend it off—it seemed to pierce straight into their souls, growing worse by the day.

Foundation Establishment cultivators found themselves shivering uncontrollably, their lips turning blue and their teeth chattering. The temperature in the cavern dropped lower and lower, and many lower-level Qi Refining cultivators died early on. Even some early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were frozen solid, leaving only a few mid-to-late-stage cultivators barely hanging on.

Realizing that his death was imminent, Yuan Zhonghe used his last strength to write this final message. In his dying words, he pleaded that if anyone found his note and managed to escape, they should take his ashes to his son and deliver the news of his death.

After reading, Lin Xiao felt a twinge of unease but showed no outward reaction. Jiang Cheng, however, looked terrified, his eyes briefly losing focus as he muttered, "If even Foundation Establishment seniors died here, then… doesn't that mean we're doomed too?"

Seeing Jiang Cheng's despondent and fearful state, Hu Guanyu straightened his back and declared, "Seniors are seniors, and I am me. No matter what, I refuse to believe that this small secret realm's ice cavern can trap me. My life will not end here!"

He added, "I've shared Yuan Zhonghe's message with you, so you can decide what to do with it. As for me, I'm leaving to find a way out."

With that, he turned to leave but then paused and returned, extending his hand toward Lin Xiao. "I need that note back. I promised to bring Yuan Zhonghe's remains to his son."

Lin Xiao found Hu Guanyu quite interesting. After returning the cloth, he asked, "Where are you planning to go?"

Hu Guanyu replied, "Naturally, I'll search for a way out."

"And how do you plan to do that?"